Chapter 14: The Mysterious Stranger

[Outskirts of Ponyville. Train Station]

Ponyville had been nearly reduced to ruble. Buildings collapsed on one another while others stood with gaping holes in the roofs. The streets were empty, hoof tracks and splatters of blood coated the mud. Bodies of undead and civilians were sometimes around a corner. Crows picked at the rotting corpses, tearing flesh away with their beaks. A dark and cold night had descended upon Equestria. The wind chilled the bone of any one still alive in the village. The air was thick and heavy to breathe because of the smell. The only place untouched by the outbreak was the train station. The remaining residents of Ponyville locked themselves away under the stations basement. The area was cramped, filled with over a hundred ponies in only a basement meant for only a hand full. The air was below freezing and filled with dust. Fillies huddled to their parents for warmth while others tried to hug their bodies. In the midst of the crowd, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, along with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, were sitting on the floor in the corner of the room. The sounds above them, making Fluttershy and Apple Bloom flinch from fear. The undead above were pounding away at the doors and windows of the building. Ripping their hands through the wood and glass. A small filly next to Apple Bloom huddled close to her, clinging to her side as if her life depended on it. Which in this case, it probably did. "M-mommy?" she looked up to Apple Bloom with tears. Her mother looked down at her daughter, wrapping an arm around her. "Yeah sugercube?" Appleseed tightened her grip around her mothers waist. "When will the monsters go away?" Apple Bloom didn't have an answer.

Another loud bang and crash upstairs caused more of the ponies to grow scared. Some gasped and others whimpered, seeing at their inevitable doom. The loud moans and roars of the zombies coming closer to the basement door made the crowd quickly move back further into the basement. The large crowd of ponies tried their best to keep quiet, trying to make it seem like nothing was inside. Then, it sounded as though the door was being hit with large objects. The wood of the wood breaking with each impact. Children sobbed and cried softly in the arms of their parents, some adults closed their eyes and sat in silence. The trauma of the situation already sucked away any negative emotion left. No fear, sadness, or anxiety, they sat with defendant looks. Ready to die to protect their loved ones. As the sound of the door breaking at the top of the stairway echoed through out the basement, the ponies went silent. No breathing, no crying, no whispering, just silence as they heard the zombies begin to make their way down stairs. The shadows of multiple figures limped down the stairs, the dim light of the moon shined through.

The crowd prepared for the worst. Seeing the horde of undead coming down the stairs. Just as the horde was about to emerge from the corner, sounds of flesh being ripped and zombies screaming and moaning in pain made some of the ponies cover their ears. In the shadows of the horde, bodies began to drop one by one and various arms and heads rolled or were even throw down the stair case and hitting the wall in front of the staircase. Large splashes of blood coated the walls, some pouring like a river down the steps. The crowd watched in horror as the undead were slaughtered. The sounds of the massacre spread to the upstairs, the moans and screams of the undead soon stopping. After a few minutes, the traumatized ponies waited and watched as a much large figure began to walk down the stairs. Some of the adults grabbed various wooden planks and broken pipes as weapons. Emerging from the staircase was a tall, cloaked stranger walking down the steps and turning to face the crowd. His black cloak was stained with red. He stood there in silence in front of the crowd until he lifted his arm from the cloak and pointed up the stairs. A adult stallion stepped forward and spoke to him.

"Y-you want us to go up there!?" he said with hesitation. The stranger nodded and lowered his arm. The stallion chuckled, feeling skeptical. "What about the zombies? Huh? You think you killed all of them!?" Again the stranger nodded and the stallions face grew nervous. The stranger turned and started to walk up the stairs, leaving the crowd in the basement. They silently talked with one another, debating what to do. Some wanted to follow the stranger, while others wanted to take their chances in the basement. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy looked at each other for a moment before standing up and started to follow the stranger. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Appleseed got up as well and followed. They didn't know why they were following, a strange power came over the group as they sat there. Causing them to follow. At the top of the stairs, they saw the mysterious figure walking away from the building, waiting as the train sat at the station. The stranger turned and pointed at the train. Fluttershy was pushed to the front by her friends. She squeaked and gulped before she stepped forward. "D-do you wish to use the t-train sir?" she said hiding behind her mane.

The stranger nodded once. Rainbow Dash nodded as well and gave a loud shout down the staircase. "Hey we need a train conductor up here stat!" From the bottom, a old pony dressed in blue walked up the stairs. He reached the top and cleared his throat. "What can I do you for sonny?" he said with a smile. The stranger pointed with his finger on a map of Equestria. Placing it on a city at the far shore of the continent. The conductor adjusted his glasses as he looked at the location at the map. "You want to go to Manehattan?" he asked. The stranger shakes his head and pointed at the group. The old conductor chuckled. "Oh I see. You want the survivors to go to Manehattan?" The stranger nodded, causing the mares to look at him with wide eyes. Applejack stepped toward him. "Why? Whats in the city?" The stranger reached into his cloak, much to the anxiety of the ponies, and pulled out a large hunting knife. He stabbed the knife into the side of the building and carved a large word. The mares looked at the word in curiosity. Carved with thin lines, the word "safe" was on the building. The mares looked at the word in surprise.

"Your showing us a safe haven." Applejack said to him with a low voice. The stranger nodded once. The conductor chuckled and adjusted his glasses again. "Works for me, I'll let the folks know and we'll get underway." Rainbow Dash spins around to the conductor with a bewildered face. "What?! Just like that?! No questions or anything?" The conductor shrugs and keeps his smile. "I trust him. He reminds me of that Jason fellow from years back. Silent, but honest." The mares sat in silence from the answer the conductor gave them. Fluttershy turned and saw the cloaked stranger looking up at the moon. Silently standing there, the wind blowing his black cloak against his back. Looking as though he was an angle of darkness.

Author's Note

Sorry for being so late but school has started back up for me so Im sorry to say expect more long dates like this